Family Portraits
by AislingRiverRaven
Summary: Like the family portraits, their lives are seemingly perfect. But below the surface, the marriages are falling apart and true love is unrequited. Can they pull their lives back together? Harry/Ginny, Draco/Astoria, eventual Harry/Draco
1. Chapter 1

Title: Family Portraits

Pairings: Harry/Ginny, Draco/Astoria, Harry/Draco (eventually)

Timeline: Starts where the Epilogue left off.

Summary: Like the family portraits, their lives are seemingly perfect. But below the surface, the marriages are falling apart and true love is unrequited. Can they pull their lives back together?

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. J. K. Rowling does.

A/N: Sorry if this doesn't fit perfectly. I'm one of the few that still hasn't read DH *gasp* (I know, horrible. But when I read it, the story is over. So I'm putting it off until the movies come out). But I've read about it online and heard the details from my sister. So, I'm following the epilogue as closely as I can and still have it be a D/H story. I hope you enjoy.

**Chapter 1**

The ride home from the train station was nearly silent. Lily sat in the back seat of the little car, contenting herself with writing in her journal. Harry had a feeling that one day, she'd be a best-selling author.

He kept his eyes on the road, not once even glancing at his Ginny, fearing that his wife might read his mind if she saw his eyes.

He licked his lips, and tried to get the image of Draco Malfoy to leave his mind. But it wouldn't budge. The picture of those gray eyes meeting his and the terse, almost imperceptible nod that the blonde gave him. The gesture confused Harry. It had been more than just a mere nod in his direction. It had been...a come-on. An acknowledgement of the sexual tension that had existed between the two since Harry could remember. And the brunet had wanted nothing more, in that moment, than to run to his old rival, marriage be damned.

"Harry," a feminine voice met his ear, bringing him out of his thoughts. "You missed the turn."

Harry shook his head and glanced at Ginny. "Did I?" He asked. "Sorry."

He found a small parking lot in which to turn around, and continued the trip home. He just hoped that he could put the thoughs of Draco to the back of his mind. He didn't need to think of it now. The war had ended nearly twenty years before. The time to act of his feelings for Draco had long passed.

Besides, he had a good marriage. He loved Ginny, he truly did. He wasn't in love with her, but that didn't really matter. He took vows and he intended to honor them. Besides, he had grown up without his father. He didn't want his children to do the same.

So what if he was attracted to men...and to one beautiful blond man in particular. It didn't matter. Draco was married to a beautiful woman and had a family of his own. Nothing would ever come of Harry's crush. It was a dream that was best left in his dream world.

Ginny and the kids were his life. A life that he was very comfortable with. A life that he wouldn't even contemplate deserting over a man that didn't want him.

He could only hope that Albus would make friends with Scorpius. Maybe then, he and Draco could as least be friends.

********

"Really, Draco," Astoria nagged as she and Draco walked into the Manor. "I know that our marriage is nothing more to you than a business arrangement, but do you really have to-"

"What the bloody hell did I do now," Draco interrupted, tired of his wife's voice. "How have I wronged you this time?"

"Staring at that Potter," she said, the name sounding like the most vile thing she could contemplate. "The second our son boarded the train, your eyes were glued to Potter."

Draco plopped down into a chair and let out a deep sigh. "What does it matter to you, Astoria?" he asked.

The woman swept her platinum hair off of her shoulders and crossed her arms over her chest. "You have never _once_ looked at me like that. You looked at him like...oh Merlin," she gasped.

Draco knew when the tone of her voice changed that she had figured it out. His dirty little secret. _'Might as well get it all out in the open now', _he decided.

"Yes," the man admitted. "I love him, alright? What difference does it make. He's married to the Weasley girl. I'm married to you."

Astoria sighed. "When I went into this marriage, it was with the hope that you could one day love me. Is there still a chance of that ever happening?"

Draco looked into her deep blue eyes. He saw anger and disappointment, but he also saw hope. He took in the sight of his wife. She was beautiful. She was also brilliant, rich, and came from a good background. They had a son together, a son that Draco loved very much. But still, he didn't love her.

She just wasn't right, she was missing something that Draco couldn't quite pinpoint until that afternoon.

When he saw Harry Potter after all those years, he knew right then that he'd never love anyone else like he loved his childhood rival. Harry Potter owned his heart.

"No," he told her honestly.

She bit her lip and nodded once, forcing herself to hold back tears. "Fine," she said. "I'll stick in this loveless marriage because that's what is expected of me, and because I love our son." She walked a step closer to Draco. "Just know that even though you dream of him at night while you're with me, he'll never love you."

Astoria walked out of the room, leaving Draco to his thoughts.

"I know," he said to the empty room. "That's why I'm married to you, and not to him."

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Draco sat alone in the Manor's large kitchen. A cup of tea sat on the table in front of him, the steam from the hot liquid forming abstact pictures in the air. Draco looked at the steam and thought of the patronus charm. He never could conjure one. He didn't know why.

But he did know that Harry could conjure a patronus. A strong one, from what the blond had heard. But that didn't suprise Draco in the slightest. Harry had always been a very powerful wizard.

The Malfoy heir slumped in his seat, propping his head up with his fist, elbow on the table. It was horrible manners, he knew. But at that point he didn't really care. He was alone in the room. There was no one to impress.

Astoria hadn't talked to him in nearly three days. Though he supposed that the silence was better than her shouting and groaning. He knew that she was unhappy with the fact that her husband was gay, but he didn't think he deserved this treatment.

"I didn't even do anything wrong," he mumbled to himself. "So I have a thing for Potter. So what? It's not like I've done anything about it. Never felt his lips against mine. Never even told him. What bloody difference does it make now..."

Just then, he heard a tapping noise coming from the next room. He hoped that it was an owl from his son. He missed Scorpius very much.

As he entered the room, he saw a brown owl sitting at the window, waiting patiently for someone to take the mail from her. He opened the window and allowed the bird to come inside.

"Here you are," he said to the creature, giving her a treat as he removed the string tying the day's mail to her leg. The owl nibbed happily as she waited for Draco to open the letters.

The first message he received was from the Ministry, consulting him about paperwork needed to start his business. Draco scrolled down the list and mentally cursed the Ministry for being involved in every aspect of the citizen's lives.

The second letter came from Pansy Parkinson, inviting he and Astoria to celebrate the upcoming birth of her first child. He scoffed at the amount of pink on the card, and tossed it to the side.

The final letter was the one he'd been hoping for: his first letter from Scorpius.

He broke the seal on the back and began to read the parchment inside.

**

_Dearest Father, _

_I am settled into school now. As you might have guessed, I am carrying on the Malfoy tradition of being in the Slytherin house. I have made a few friends already. One that even suprised me. Although a bigger shock is that he is in Slytherin as well. His older brother is in Gryffindor. Regardless, he is now my friend. He follows me around and does things for me. Isn't that brilliant?_

_I think that my best subject this year will be Potions. Though flying is quite fun as well. I'm very far ahead of some of the others, though quite a few are muggle born. They are entertaining, though. When I come home for Christmas Holiday, I must tell you some of the things I've heard. _

_I hope you and Mother are doing well. I shall miss you both, but I am very happy to be at school. _

_Love, _

_Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy_

_**_

Draco smiled as he finished the letter from his son. He shook his head, getting stray locks of hair into his eyes. He pushed the strands back, and looked up, noticing that the owl was still in the room.

"Waiting for a reply, are you?" he asked.

The owl did nothing to reply, other than continue to stare at the man.

After a moment, Draco moved to retrieve a piece of parchment and a quill. He sat back down at the table, thinking of what to write back to his son.

**

_Dear Scorpius, _

_Congratulations on making it into Slytherin. Your mother and I are both very proud of you, though we would've been, no matter which house you were sorted into..._

**

_'No,'_ Draco thought, _'that's actually a lie. I'd have been pretty disappointed if my son had landed with the Puffs.'_

He huffed a laugh at the thought and continued to write.

**

_I am glad to know that you are making friends. Especially ones outside of our social circle. And if you find one that is willing to do things for you, be sure to keep him around. And don't hex the muggleborns too badly. You might need them to help you one day. _

_**_

Draco knew from experience that isolating himself away from people could go badly. If he had just been better to Potter, Granger and Weasley, who knows what pain he could've avoided. And even though the war was over, he wanted to made sure that his son had decent allies.

_**_

_I know you will do well in Potions and Flying, son. It's in your blood. But I shall wish you luck anyway. _

_And finally, your mother will be sending you treats and things from home in a few days. So you have that to look forward to. _

_Your mother and I both miss you, but we are glad you are doing so well at school. _

_Love, _

_Father_

_**_

Draco sealed the letter and tied it to the owl's leg. He opened the window and thanked the bird as it flew off into the sunlight.

He returned to his spot in the kitchen and sat down, looking at the now luke-warm cp of tea. He brought the cup to his lips and let the liquid flow into his mouth.

After a moment, he sat the cup back down and thought about how many Gryffindors he knew with two sons. He was very curious about the identity of his son's new follower.

_'Watch it be Potter's kid,' _he mumbled to himself. _'That'd be my luck.'_

And luck, it would seem, did not like to be on Draco's side.


End file.
